Photographer Peter Dazeley on the secrets behind London’s most beautiful theatres

Evening Standard: London-based Dazeley has been photographing the capital for years, hunting down the hidden details that most of us miss. His book, London Theatres, lifts the lid on some of the most spectacular, intricate, and yet often overlooked parts of venues around the city.

Virtual Production Takes A Big Step Forward

VFX Voice Magazine: Traditionally, movies and television shows have been divided into three stages consisting of pre-production, production and post-production; however, the lines are blurring with the advancements in virtual production. A great deal of interest was generated with what Jon Favreau was able to achieve utilizing the technology to produce The Mandalorian. Interest turned into necessity when the coronavirus pandemic restricted the ability to shoot global locations.

Historic Hollywood backdrop paintings to go on view at Bass Concert Hall

Sightlines: In another clever move to use the currently empty Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas, the vast stage will turn into an exhibition space for 12 historic — and enormous — hand-painted film backdrops.

BWW Interview: Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo Talks Sundance Premiere of CODA, Starring Marlee Matlin & More

www.broadwayworld.com: Costume designer Brenda Abbandandolo has worked extensively in both the worlds of theatre and film, showcasing her incredible eye for detail and creative passion in a long list of award-winning projects. Her on-screen projects have included SNL, THE WOLF HOUR with Naomi Watts, the Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning THE DISASTER ARTIST, AN AMERICAN PICKLE directed by Brandon Trost and starring Seth Rogen, and others.

Multi-turn encoders for miniature motors require no battery backup

www.motioncontroltips.com: POSITAL’s new 22-mm multiturn kit encoders are high-precision multiturn absolute position feedback devices for miniature motors and drives. While motion feedback devices for small motors have previously been limited to single-turn or incremental encoders, the new compact kit encoders from POSITAL now provide full multiturn measurement capabilities – without any need for backup batteries.

Gesel Mason Awarded Major NEH Grant for Digital Archiving Project to Preserve Work of Black Choreographers

Sightlines: Austin-based choreographer and dancer scholar Gesel Mason has been awarded a grant for just under $100,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support her ongoing project to archive the work of Black choreographers.

Rock-it Cargo And Sound Moves Merge As Rock-it Global

Pollstar: Leading live event transportation companies Rock-it Cargo And Sound Moves, which are both subsidiaries of Rock-it Cargo USA, are joining forces and will now be known under the brand name Rock-it Global.

Quantum theatre moves new production, Far Away, to film

Pittsburgh Current: The continued pandemic has continued to damper live theater, and theater companies have had to find new ways to keep audiences engaged while it is still unsafe for crowds to gather. For some theaters in Pittsburgh, film has stepped in to help out.

Preparing to Maybe Go Back To Work

SoundGirls.org: It has been almost a year since I flew home from rehearsals to do laundry and pack for a tour that would have kept me on the road well into this year. Instead of putting my laundry into a suitcase, it went back into my dresser. At first, we thought we would start our tour in June, but alas we all know what happened.

AVIXA announces return of AV Experience Awards

InPark Magazine: AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, is pleased to announce the return of the AV Experience Awards program to recognize the innovative integration of content, space, and audiovisual technology to enrich experiences. Entry to submit award applications is officially open.

IATSE Offers to Help Convert Venues to Vaccination Centers

spectrumlocalnews.com: As President Joe Biden continues to ramp up the federal government’s coronavirus fighting efforts, numerous corporations and groups have reached out to offer their assistance in reaching the administration’s ambitious goal of administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days.

Why Do Some Hydraulic Hoses Outperform Others?

Hydraulics & Pneumatics: Operational environments and application demands for hydraulic hoses are vast and varied. From snowplows in cold Canadian winters to the hot interior workings of industrial machinery, hydraulic hoses perform a great number of functions the modern world depends on.

Ruth Carter On 'Black Panther 2' & Her SCAD FASH Exhibit

www.bustle.com: If you love film, you probably know Ruth E. Carter’s work — even if you don’t realize it. The Academy Award-winning costume designer has created iconic costumes for more than 40 films including Black Panther, Selma, Malcom X, Do the Right Thing, B*A*P*S, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, just to name a few.

Drama students ponder safety and risk during an uncertain time

YaleNews: As the director of theater safety and occupational health at Yale School of Drama, Anna Glover helps students who are developing and designing theater productions make decisions that are safe for the stage crew and their audiences. When designers and stage managers plan to use pyrotechnics in a play, for example, or have an actor climb high on an apparatus as part of the show’s action, Glover is usually on hand.

Flaming Lips Use of Plastic Bubbles at Concerts Leave Covid-19 Experts Unsure

The New York Times: There are Covid-19 bubbles — small clusters of friends or family who agree to socialize exclusively with each other during the pandemic — and then there are the kinds of bubbles the Flaming Lips used at recent concerts. Band members and concertgoers rocked out and bounced while encased in large individual plastic bubbles amid bright swirling lights in trippy scenes at concerts on Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City.

IATSE Offers White House Venues and Workforce to Help Vaccinate

Variety: IATSE, the union that represents the workers behind the scenes, has reached out to the White House and its COVID Response Team offering their venues and workforce to help build and convert vaccination sites. A few weeks ago, IATSE tweeted, “Turn live venues into COVID vaccination sites and use union labor to set it up.”

Steering a Balloon With Sound Waves Could Be the Secret to Touching Objects in VR

gizmodo.com: The ultimate goal to making virtual reality feel more like reality is letting users physically touch non-existent objects in a VR world. Until we figure out the technology behind Star Trek’s Holodecks, researchers from the University of Tokyo are experimenting with steerable helium balloons that VR users can safely reach out and touch.

L.A. comedian Steve Hofstetter is transforming a Pittsburgh church into Steel City AF with comedy venue

nextpittsburgh.com: Steve Hofstetter’s childhood home in Queens, New York was filled with laughter. He joked around with his siblings while his dad spun old comedy albums from the likes of George Carlin and Dick Gregory. Now, the Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian is moving to Pittsburgh to create the same kind of funny, familial atmosphere.

Making sense of Diversity & Inclusion in themed entertainment

InPark Magazine: With racism and discrimination at the center of many issues we are facing today, themed entertainment has the task of taking on tough conversations creatively (all while surviving a pandemic). The world is in re-calibration, searching for answers and how to tell stories that are progressive and meaningful to fit the times. The entertainment industry has work to do.

Flaming Lips hold COVID-19 concert with individual plastic bubbles

National | Globalnews.ca: The Flaming Lips, known for being an experimental, “out there” alt-rock group, have taken it to the next level (again) to face COVID-19. The band held the first of two socially distanced concerts with audience members encased in individual plastic bubbles at The Criterion in Oklahoma City on Jan. 22.

Norwegian requiring its crew members to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Business Insider: Norwegian Cruise Line and its Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand will be asking all of its crew members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to boarding, the cruise companies' spokespeople told Insider in an email statement. It's just the latest sign that cruise sailings won't be departing any time soon.

Pittsburgh university students create spaces to talk about mental health during the pandemic

www.publicsource.org: Facing a deepening pandemic, another stretch of mostly online classes and a national backdrop of political turmoil, Pittsburgh-area students are turning to their colleges — and to each other — to meet growing mental health needs. Kayla Koch, a senior at the University of Pittsburgh, said students were already struggling with the transition that college life brings, but the pandemic has made everything harder.

Martinez Named CFA Assistant Dean of DEI

www.cmu.edu/news: Valeria J. Martinez has been named the assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion within Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts (CFA). CFA Dean Dan Martin announced the appointment of Martinez to the new position in a message to the CFA community earlier today.

Adam Savage's One Day Builds: New Drill Press Table!

Tested: This weekend project has Adam taking apart his Powermatic drill press and lugging the entire machine to the center of the cave to switch out its table with a new one he bought online. But here’s the catch: the new table’s mount is just slightly narrower than the drill press’s column can accommodate, so Adam needs to precisely mill out just enough steel to get it to fit.

Biden Reverses Trump Order That Banned Diversity Training

www.theroot.com: President Biden reversed a Trump administration order that banned federal agencies, contractors, and any agency that receives federal funding from conducting certain types of diversity training. I can’t lie, even knowing we were in for a change, after the last four years I’m still not quite acclimated to the general lack of racist fuckery in the White House.

From Second Grade to CMU

www.cmu.edu/news: The day before the semester started, J.D. Hopper got sick and had to be admitted to the hospital overnight. This wasn't how the San Diego native pictured preparing for his first day at Carnegie Mellon University. Even though he was 2,400 miles away from home, Hopper had a familiar face to turn to during a stressful time — lifelong friend and fellow first-year student, Pablo Anton.

The 4 Rs

HowlRound Theatre Commons: How are you standing on the ground? As I think of my fellow directors, I’m asking that question. As I talk with my collaborators on Zoom, as I walk around my neighborhood, as I lie next to my partner at night. How are you standing on the ground? I wonder: Do you know you’re still standing?

World of Warcraft Cosplayer Makes Epic Cosplay Wings Tutorial

Cosplay Central: Plexi Cosplay took the cosplay stage by storm in 2019 when she debuted her Darksiders 3 cosplay at New York Comic Con. Now, she's back and better than ever with her new World of Warcraft cosplay and even a full tutorial on how to make cosplay wings.

French Immersion Releases ‘FR//XR: A Handbook For Immersive Producers’

by NoPro Newswire | Jan, 2021 | No Proscenium: The Guide To Everything Immersive: A consortium of French cultural institutions working under the collective banner of the French Immersion program (the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the USA, CNC, Institut français, UniFrance and FACE Foundation) have released a handbook for XR producers hungry for resources.

Actors' Equity: Delays In Vaccinations Further Damage The Arts Industry

www.broadwayworld.com: Actors' Equity has released a statement in response to the news that New York City is not doing vaccine distribution today and has canceled over 23,000 vaccination appointments this week. "Postponing vaccine distribution is heartbreaking for seniors and frontline health care workers who need vaccines now," said Mary McColl

Circular Saws: Sidewinder vs. Worm-Drive

Fine Homebuilding: Geography has a lot to do with a carpenter’s choice in circular saws. In pockets of the West and Midwest, worm drive saws are the common choice. In the East, sidewinder saws are king. Many carpenters have one or more of each, using them for different applications.

Immersive Experience Explores the Mystery of Iron-Making

www.nationalparkstraveler.org: A new immersive experience in the blast furnace building at the Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site in Quebec will teach visitors about the little-known profession of casting iron at the birthplace of Canada’s iron industry.

Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart opens February 18 at Area15

Las Vegas Weekly: After much anticipation, Area15 finally welcomes Meow Wolf, the anchor tenant that occupies a full third of that sprawling entertainment, dining and retail complex, on Thursday, February 18. And though the full details of what you’ll find at Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart are deliberately scarce in this week’s press announcement, it’s safe to assume that things are gonna get weird next month.

Broken Nose passes the Bechdel Test | Theater Preview

Chicago Reader: Alison Bechdel’s iconic eponymous Bechdel Test isn't the same exam it was when the award-winning graphic writer (Fun Home, Dykes to Watch Out For) created it back in ye olden 1985. A quick refresher if you've been under a rock since then or are still entrenched in the patriarchy: In order to pass the Bechdel Test, stories—be they on stage, page, or screen—have to include at least two female characters. And those two women have to talk at least once about something other than men. Extra credit: The women have names.

Evolving Technologies in the Textile Industry & How Skilled Workers Are Adapting

AMT Lab @ CMU: In the age of mass production, skilled workers must adapt in order to sustain their role in the textiles industry. In this context, skilled workers can be considered a craftspeople who have a vast knowledge of textile production and textiles-related objects and use the tools available at the time.

Airbnb Inside K-Pop Experience: Get Tickets to See Artists Live Online

Rolling Stone: With travel on hold in most places around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, Airbnb is shifting its focus to travel-related experiences, starting with an interactive week of programming around K-pop.

The Black Seed Project Awards Grants to Nearly 100 Theatre Companies

Playbill: Nearly 100 Black theatre institutions have been selected to receive grants, running from $10,000 to $150,000 over one to two years, as part of the Black Seed Project. Among the recipients are 651 Arts, AUDELCO, Black National Theatre, Harlem Stage, Negro Ensemble Company, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company, and Tuskegee Repertory Theater.

SAG-AFTRA Board Paves Way for Expelling Donald Trump from Union

Consequence of Sound: While Donald Trump is no doubt preoccupied with Mitch McConnell’s latest comments about impeachment, there are movements afoot that would make an Apprentice reboot or his long-rumored digital media venture tougher to realize. As Deadline reports, SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing film, television, and media personalities, has taken the first step in expelling Trump.

What is friction compensation in servo control?

www.motioncontroltips.com: Friction, which is the resistance to relative motion between two bodies, occurs in all sliding and rolling motions. In components that use lubrication to separate rolling or sliding surfaces — such as bearings and gears — there are typically two types of friction: static friction and dynamic friction.

C3 Produces Field Of Flags For Presidential Inauguration: Exclusive

Pollstar: Powerhouse promoter C3 Presents brought its services to the U.S. Capitol this week, creating an art display of 200,000 U.S. flags on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the 46th presidential inauguration.

Promising Young Woman Costume Designer on Carey Mulligan's Outfits

Variety: After reading the script for Emerald Fennell’s revenge thriller “Promising Young Woman,” costume designer Nancy Steiner pictured a leading lady who was “disheveled” or, in gentler terms, “less-than put together.” After all, Cassie — the film’s main character portrayed by Carey Mulligan — is depressed.

Breakdance Battles in VRChat Are Connecting People Across the Globe

www.roadtovr.com: If you aren’t paying close attention to VR, you’d have no idea that some insanely futuristic stuff is already happening today. Case in point: VRChat is host to a growing community of people strapping on motion-trackers to have live dance battles in virtual reality.

Building Back Live: It Takes An Ecosystem

Pollstar: Robert F.X. Sillerman faced a packed ballroom during the Concert Industry Consortium (the precursor to Pollstar Live!) at L.A.’s Century Plaza Hotel in February 1999 and bluntly told the crowd, “In the words of Godzilla, size is good. Size matters.” Perhaps as notable as the sea change in the way the concert business operated wrought by SFX is that there was no such thing as an “independent concert promoter” prior to Sillerman’s emergence. They were all independent.

My nominees for a Secretary of Culture in the Biden Cabinet

Los Angeles Times: Eight years ago, as President Obama was about to be sworn in for his second term, I noted that in the crush of inauguration activities he had forgotten something. Obama inadvertently omitted naming a new cabinet member to be sent to the Senate for confirmation. Where was his Secretary of Culture?

How VR is Challenging Content Consumption & Creation

VRFocus: Virtual reality (VR) is a new medium which allows an array of creative talent to challenge the way we experience art. Whether it’s something as simple as an IMAX-style experience at home, or completely changing your viewpoint so that you’re a part of the film itself, moving between characters and breaking free of the frame.

A (sort of) Manifesto: Running Between Theatre and Film, Reimagining the Live Experience

www.intermissionmagazine.ca: Most artists can take a tiny budget and produce magic. We’re constantly creating new worlds, images and stories with nothing but shoestrings and determination. That is both our superpower and our curse. When done well, most audience members will never know the difference between a show by a large theatre house and one from an emerging collective. It’s very much a part of the joy of creation: finding interesting solutions and discoveries, stretching our health, bodies and imaginations, at times to the breaking point, in order to see our visions come to life.

BWW Feature: How Broadway Women's Alliance Is Changing the Game for Women in Theatre

www.broadwayworld.com: In November 2017, a small group of Broadway's leading female professionals congregated at iconic theatre haunt Sardi's to discuss the working realities of women on the business end of Broadway. That night, the group began outlining the most prevalent issues facing female and female-identifying professionals in the theatre industry and quickly resolved to hold further events geared toward enacting long-term solutions.

Theaters honor Dr. King's dream by acting on #WeSeeYouWAT demands

DC Metro Theater Arts: An insurrection by far-right extremists within the U.S. Capitol; Washington, DC, looking like a war zone prepared for battle; and state capitals around the country braced for violence on the eve of a presidential inauguration. Who would have thought the United States would be in the shape we are in as the nation celebrates the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader and spokesperson for a nonviolent movement for racial justice and social change?

Commentary: In the arts, the role we all play is important. What's your role?

The San Diego Union-Tribune: The majority of my work as a theater artist and arts administrator highlights the stories of marginalized people. To communities of color, the arts exist as a reminder and affirmation of our beauty, strength and presence. Some of the readers of this piece tuned out when I used the word “marginalized” a few sentences ago. They’re currently putting together an argument that there are no marginalized people in the 21st century.

IATSE - 'Let's Open Up Music Venues For COVID Testing'

Variety: As entertainment venues including Broadway theaters, dance centers, arenas and concert halls lie empty across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, IATSE, the union that represents the workers behind-the-scenes at those venues tweeted earlier this week, “Turn live venues into COVID vaccination sites and use union labor to set it up.”

Apple TV+'s Dickinson Suffers From Colorism and It Shows

The Mary Sue: AppleTV+’s Dickinson, like many shows that have come before it, suffers from colorism, and if we don’t confront it head on, we’ll be stuck in a preferential state of things where light skin is good skin.

Gabby Giffords Hopes Hollywood Can Help Fight Gun Violence

Variety: One of Gabby Giffords’ priorities for 2021 is to forge relationships with writers, producers, celebrities and decision-makers in Hollywood who can leverage their powerful platforms to speak out against gun violence, call for commonsense laws and support local community efforts to raise awareness about gun safety.

What It’s Like to Fly a Stunt Helicopter for Michael Bay

InsideHook: Frédéric North is one of the world’s most sought-after stunt helicopter pilots and aerial coordinators. For over three decades, he has piloted aircraft for Hollywood’s biggest directors, racking up an epically long list of credits, including a heavy presence in the Fast & Furious and Transformers franchises. He also holds the world record for altitude in a helicopter, reaching 42,500 feet back in 2002. His work will next be seen in the upcoming Netflix feature Chaos Walking.

CMU Expands Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing with High-Volume, On-Campus Lab

www.cmu.edu/news: After months of planning, Carnegie Mellon University is unveiling a new testing strategy, including the opening of its own on-campus laboratory, that enhances the way CMU detects and prevents the spread of COVID-19 within its community. The Tartan COVID-19 Asymptomatic Testing Program, or Tartan Testing for short, will allow all asymptomatic Carnegie Mellon students, faculty and staff in the Pittsburgh area — as well as on-campus dining and custodial affiliates — to be tested once a week throughout the spring semester.

Mrs. Maisel's marvelous accessories come from Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle: Scott Johnson did not set out to be a resource for Hollywood costume designers when he opened his shop, Three Rivers Vintage, seven years ago. But after getting a call from the Pittsburgh-based Netflix crime thriller “Mindhunter” to provide ’70s and ’80s apparel, word spread about his 1,200-square-foot store, located on South Side’s Carson Street, and it’s now on the radar of other film and TV crews.

The Mandalorian's MicroLED displays could kill off the green screen for good – here's why

TechRadar: Could the direction of filmmaking be about to change? According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Sony has announced a pair of new Crystal LED modular direct view displays that could make virtual movie production – of the kind used to create the digital sets in The Mandalorian – a far more widespread method of filmmaking.

Danish gov won't guarantee festival cancellation fund

IQ Magazine: Denmark’s minister for culture says she cannot guarantee the government will set up a German-style insurance fund that would reimburse organisers whose events are cancelled by coronavirus restrictions, as there are too many unknowns.

Newsom proposes California Creative Corps pilot program to use artists to fight pandemic

Datebook: In November, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office and partner organizations announced the San Francisco Creative Corps, a pilot program to hire artists to encourage public health best practices such as mask wearing and social distancing in some of the city’s most crowded areas.

Netflix Inclusion Report Highlights Need to Boost Hispanic Hiring

Variety: Netflix, like other tech companies, has regularly published data about the diversity of its workforce since 2013. Now the streamer has released its first “inclusion report,” in which the company details its strategy to improve diversity — and where it has fallen short.

Lessons of the Volante - So Far

blog.americanduchess.com: There's something about pleat-to-fit garments that both attract me and drive me bonkers. I think it's a combination of no two surviving examples being the same and my desire to fit everything skin-tight and wrinkle-free. Like the Polonaise, the Robe Volante just ain't havin' any of that.

RATATOUILLE: THE TIKTOK MUSICAL Raises $2 Million For the Actors Fund

www.broadwayworld.com: Presented by the Tony Award-winning theatrical company Seaview, in association with TikTok and TodayTix Presents, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical premiered on Friday, January 1, 2021 on TodayTix with over 200,000 tickets sold, in addition to an encore performance on Sunday, January 10 on TikTok, with 150,000 viewers tuning in. Between the two viewing platforms, more than 350,000 people viewed Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical.

Unemployment Income For Performing Artists Is Standard In France

NPR: Inside a small, sunlit rehearsal space in the east of Paris, a brass quintet practices an original composition for an upcoming musical theater performance called Death Breath Orchestra. But the musical's opening has been pushed back yet again due to an upsurge in the virus. France, like its European neighbors, has been hit hard by a second wave of COVID-19 and officials warn of a possible third wave this winter.

For Veteran Cloudhead Games, VR Has Become a Lucrative Business

www.roadtovr.com: Having started production on its first title even before the original Oculus Rift DK1 development kit was sent to developers, Canada-based Cloudhead Games is one of the world’s most veteran game studios dedicated to virtual reality. The studio has staked its very existence on its ability to build compelling VR games. With three prior games under its belt, Cloudhead poured its hard-won expertise into its latest, Pistol Whip, which has propelled the studio new levels of success.

9 techniques to help you appear more confident on Zoom

Business Insider: At least once a week, I hear from leaders who ask, "How do I project more executive presence?" And now, in light of the ongoing global pandemic, these same top performers wonder how to capture ever-elusive executive presence in virtual meetings as well.

Law & Order: SVU to "Hire Every Broadway Actor We Can" Amid Pandemic

Consequence of Sound: The hottest Broadway song of the season goes dun dun! In a recent Twitter exchange, Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight said that as the COVID-19 crisis stretches on, “We are trying to hire every Broadway actor we can while we and they wait for the curtains to rise again.”

Meow Wolf shares a sneak peek of Meow Wolf Denver

theknow.denverpost.com: Meow Wolf this week shared new images and details about its under-construction Denver location, which the Santa Fe-based company said is on track to open in late 2021. The entertainment company’s first permanent Colorado installation has been rising at the confluence of Interstate-25, Colfax Avenue and Auraria Parkway, just west of downtown Denver, since late 2018.

3 Effective Ways To Collaborate With Your Team

www.lifehack.org: Team collaboration doesn’t always come easy—especially if you’re a young leader who’s just begun building interpersonal skills and trust among your group. You may find that your attempts to collaborate with your team get burdened down by competing goals, cultural barriers, or physical distance. These hurdles may be enough to make you question if you have what it takes to bring people together to rally around a common goal. Well, you do.

What are rotary actuators and how do they differ from other rotary tables?

www.motioncontroltips.com: When we think about actuators, we typically think about linear actuators — devices that move loads in a straight line, driven by a screw, belt, or other mechanical power transmission device. But there also exists a class of actuators that provide rotary motion for positioning a load radially around a fixed axis. While these rotary actuators can be driven by pneumatic, hydraulic, or electromechanical power, we’ll focus here on electromechanical versions.

French music sector plans a number of test concerts

IQ Magazine: The French music sector is planning a number of test concerts for this spring – following in the footsteps of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Spain and Singapore. A working group for test concerts has been assembled by France’s live music association, Prodiss, steered by Jean-Paul Roland (director of the Eurockéennes festival), Marie Sabot (We Love Green festival), and Armel Campana (Main Square festival).

3 Networking DON'Ts

ExhibiTricks: The Museum Exhibit Design Blog: I was delighted to speak at the recent NYCMER (New York Museum Educator's Roundtable) Career Symposium on the subject of "Building a Network" alongside two excellent co-presenters, Kinneret Kohn and Leah Golubchick. While we covered a number of great networking tips and tricks, my part of the session focused on 3 Networking DON'Ts

Art meets tech to mark first 100 years of the robot

Technology | The Guardian: “Listen Josef,” said the Czech playwright Karel Čapek to his brother. “I have an idea for a play.” Josef, an artist of some renown, was painting furiously and unimpressed by his brother’s intrusion. “What kind of play?” he asked, sharply. Karel set out the plot. In the future, humans have created synthetic, humanoid creatures to increase productivity in the factories and fight wars on the battlefield. Built as slave workers, they will eventually rise up and wipe out the human race.

New RTI 4K Video Over IP Platform Enables Seamless Control Integration

LightSoundJournal.com: RTI, a leading control and automation manufacturer, today announced a new Video over IP (VIP) platform that allows integrators to distribute 4K UHD video over a 1GB network switch. This exceptionally flexible system can be installed in minutes, scaled to a virtually unlimited number of endpoints, and controlled natively within the RTI control environment. For the user, everything in the system is conveniently displayed on an RTI touchpanel, remote, or mobile device with video preview, making it easy to align any source with any display.

Theater and Democracy, born together, both now under attack.

New York Theater: Theater and democracy were born in the same place at the same time – in Athens 2,500 years ago — and that is no coincidence: One led to the other. The creation of theater festivals in the 6th century BCE brought the four warring tribes of Athens into a common space to share a common experience, which engendered a new sense of unity, and of community.

Out of the Darkness: A “Visit” with Lighting Designer Japhy Weideman

The Theatre Times: “That’s what we as lighting designers do – we observe, interpret, and find ways to recreate an emotional response without directly telling an audience how to feel.” Before he designed the explosive lighting used for one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, Dear Evan Hansen, designer Japhy Wiedeman created the haunting, macabre and beautiful world for the 2015 Broadway production of The Visit.

How This Costume Designer Transformed Amy Adams in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’

www.backstage.com: By now, you’ve at least seen images of nearly unrecognizable Glenn Close and Amy Adams as Mamaw and Bev Vance, respectively, in Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy.” Here’s how costume designer Virginia Johnson helped transform the film’s superstars into Appalachians in Netflix’s adaptation of J.D. Vance’s memoir.

'Mean Girls' Won't Reopen on Broadway Due to Pandemic

Variety: When the lights go up on Broadway, “Mean Girls” won’t be returning to the stage. Producers announced Thursday that the musical, based on Tina Fey’s modern cult classic, will not resume when theaters reopen.

A Look at the Costumes of 'Wonder Woman 1984'

Variety: When “Wonder Woman” costume designer Lindy Hemming heard that the follow-up to the 2017 box-office hit starring Gal Gadot was going to be set in 1984, her first question was would the costumes fall under period or fantasy? The answer is a simple one, “both,” Hemming says.

IATSE President: Warnock & Ossoff Victories in GA Secure Pro-Worker U.S. Senate

IATSE Cares: IATSE-supported candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have been declared the winners of Georgia’s Senate runoff races by the Associated Press. Their victories have secured a pro-worker majority in the United States Senate. IATSE members in Georgia, and across the country, are ready for new leadership and a U.S. Senate that will deliver for the American people.

Actors' Equity condemns insurrection at US Capitol

Broadway News: “What happened yesterday in Washington, D.C. was shocking and unacceptable. For hours, a nation watched white supremacy on display in an illegal attempt to overturn the will of the people and disenfranchise millions of voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and around the nation.

Film and TV producers happy that lockdown won't stop their shoots

Montreal Gazette: The entire film and TV production community in Quebec breathed a collective sigh of relief late Wednesday afternoon when Premier François Legault announced that film and TV shoots will be exempt from both the lockdown and the curfew.

Best Cordless Circular Saw Reviews for 2020

Pro Tool Reviews: Cordless has come a long way since the early days of lithium-ion power. Where circular saws were initially struggling for adequate performance (and even a 7-1/4-inch blade), they now exceed the performance of 15-amp corded models. We decided to test the waters and pulled our expert team together to discover who makes the best cordless circular saw from an elite top tier of advanced models.

Pay Equity

HowlRound Theatre Commons: The theatre industry—both non-profit and for-profit—is a system where artists are compensated as little as possible, pay inequity is systemic, and there is widespread disparity in labor support. It is the system artists work within and the one in which administrators run their companies. But this system is not something many in either group particularly like or want to maintain. The industry has everything to gain by centering pay equity and taking steps to enact it.

Pattern Notes & Adjustments for Simplicity S8941

blog.americanduchess.com: This pattern was originally designed in the 1790s style, with a peaked back and full gathered skirt. As is Simplicity's preference, it was designed to be worn with a modern bra, but can also be worn with a 1790s or Regency corset. This period of dress is an "easy" one to pattern because there is no tricky waist fitting - BUT, there is still the bust, sleeves, and overall length to consider. So let's get into how to make these adjustments, along with a few others.

Over 60 Pittsburgh artists come together for single "SOS 2020" to help local venues

Music | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pittsburgh music community has been shouting SOS — Save Our Stages. Musicians and venues alike rallied to bring awareness to the struggling live entertainment industry and to push the Save Our Stages Act, which if passed, would give venues across the U.S. funds to help them stay afloat while their doors remained shuttered.

Let's all meet up in the year 3000! Inside the immersive Doctor Who: Time Fracture

Stage | The Guardian: ‘This entire year for live arts has been a real one step forward, two steps back process,” says Daniel Dingsdale. He’s been one of the lucky ones, working on a huge production that has survived the coronavirus upheaval and is set to open in spring. Dingsdale is the writer of Doctor Who: Time Fracture, an ambitious immersive theatre show officially licensed by the BBC and developed by Immersive Everywhere. It promises to take audiences across time and space on a mission to save the universe – all within the confines of Covid safety restrictions.

We Need to Distinguish “Trust” and “Care” in Partnering

Dance Magazine: "Trust" and "care" are two concepts that frequently come up in conversations about partnering. Yet, when asked to articulate the difference, language often falls short. On the surface, there is a tendency to believe that what we say shouldn't matter as much as how we express care and trust through action. But time and again, I've seen that how we conceive of these two concepts affects what actually plays out in practice.

Why do theater people say “Break a Leg”?

Prop Agenda: Anyone who has spent any time in the theater has heard the phrase “Break a leg!” It is the traditional means of wishing good luck for a performer.

Danish live industry to hold series of test events

IQ Magazine: Denmark’s live music association, Dansk Live, has been granted permission to hold a series of test events utilising rapid testing to find out whether large-scale events can safely take place without social distancing.

What Does the Future of 3D Printing Look Like?

Fusion 360 Blog: Once a novelty pipe dream but now an established technology, 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) is positioned for real, important growth. Remember the early days of 3D printing? We shared a collective excitement for model versions of the Brooklyn Bridge and iconic cartoon characters to adorn our desks. Now, 3D printing is tackling much larger issues and solving complex problems across industries of varying scales.

The role of wireless intercoms in Covid safety

www.avinteractive.com: Peter Schneider, vice president of Gotham Sound & Communications, answers questions about the new ways of working required for media productions and their changing technology requirements.

Living The Lighting Life: A Guide to a Career in Entertainment Lighting

LiveDesignOnline: You may think that by its title, Living The Lighting Life: A Guide To A Career In The Entertainment Industry (published by Routledge, 2021), could be just another showbiz bio/memoire laced with juicy tidbits of tour bus antics and behind-the-scenes anecdotes by a well-known industry personality. You would most certainly be wrong.

“Backwards Continuity is Not a Category, Is It?”: Script Supervisor Steve Gehrke on Tenet

Filmmaker Magazine: In the world of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, people from the future have figured out how to reverse the entropy of people and objects, making them “time inverted. Effect precedes cause for inverted objects and people. Inverted bullets return from bullet holes and swirl back into the barrel of the guns that fired them, a fight between an inverted soldier and a soldier operating on regular time looks like a freak-puppet show, and reverse speech sounds like the dream speak from the Red Room in Twin Peaks.

UK festival industry warns of 'wipeout' at DCMS inquiry

IQ Magazine: Key stakeholders in the UK’s festival industry today gave evidence at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee’s inquiry into safeguarding the future of the sector, which has been ‘decimated’ due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Joint Statement Regarding Production Hold in Southern California

SAG-AFTRA: In light of the capacity crisis facing Southern California hospitals due to the COVID pandemic and an anticipated post-holiday surge of COVID cases, SAG-AFTRA and organizations representing commercial advertisers and advertising agencies and independent film and television producers have reached agreement on recommending a temporary hold on in-person production in Southern California. The major studios and streamers are already on production hiatus in Southern California until mid-January.

Rachael Moser System Engineer for Clair Global

SoundGirls.org: Rachael Moser has worked for Clair Global in Nashville for over ten years as a PA Tech, Monitor Systems Tech, RF Tech, Monitor Mixer, and most recently System Engineer/Crew Chief. She has worked in audio for over 15 years and attended Belmont University, graduating from their Audio Engineering Technology program with a BS and minor in business.

Reverse-Engineering Zoom with Isadora

HowlRound Theatre Commons: Jared Mezzocchi has been systematically exploring what Zoom and the editing program Isadora can offer theatre practitioners during the pandemic. He has been working in the field for over a decade and has explored it from multiple points of view—designer, director, playwright, artistic director.

Review Roundup: RATATOUILLE: THE TIKTOK MUSICAL - What Did the Critics Think?

www.broadwayworld.com: The premiere of the virtual benefit performance of Ratatouille: the TikTok Musical took place on Friday, January 1 at 7pm ET and will stream for 72 hours only through TodayTix. The Actors Fund has confirmed that, on its premiere night, the production has generated more than $1 million in ticket sales, to benefit The Actors Fund.

Two theater students start a podcast that asks stars "Whatcha Doin'?"

DC Metro Theater Arts: Two enterprising Catholic University of America seniors are hosting a new podcast to connect current theater industry professionals with future theater industry professionals through interviews on YouTube and Spotify. Called Whatcha Doin’ with Brandon Horwin and Sophie Williams, the fully student-produced series is inspired by faith that the theater will thrive again.

Proteus Maximus™ creates ‘Ladder of Light’ for firefighter memorial

LightSoundJournal.com: A moving memorial to firefighters at Firemen’s Memorial Park in Naperville, Illinois, is receiving praise from both the artist community and general public alike as a uniquely elegant work of art. Created by local artist Paul Kuhn in partnership with Dark Moon Designs and Intelligent Lighting Creations, the memorial depicts a firefighter climbing a “Ladder of Light” and was unveiled on the 50th anniversary of a crash that killed three Naperville firefighters.

KISS’ New Year’s Eve Livestream Show Is a Record-Breaking Spectacle

Consequence of Sound: Setting the Stage: KISS were smack-dab in the middle of their “End of the Road” farewell tour when COVID-19 effectively shut down the concert industry in mid-March. Instead of sitting out the rest of the year entirely, the band opted to close 2020 with a bang: a livestream of an outdoor performance from the Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai (with more than 50 cameras in tow, and a 360-degree view of the stage) on New Year’s Eve.

Checking In On Low-Cost CNC Machines

Hackaday: Low cost 3D printers have come a long way in the last few years, but have entry-level CNC machines improved by the same leaps and bounds? That’s what [ModBot] recently set out to find. Despite getting burned pretty badly on a cheap CNC a few years back, he decided to try again with a sub $400 machine from FoxAlien. You can see his full review after the break.

Happy New Year!

www.cmu.edu/news: For the past six years, Carnegie Mellon University has added to the tradition of new arrangements of "Auld Lang Syne" to honor the school's Scottish roots. This year's version was arranged by Director of Piping Andrew Carlisle and performed by Carnegie Mellon Pipes and Drums with vocals from Manu Narayan, a 1996 graduate of the School of Music; Alyssa Vieau, a senior in music; Emily Gallagher, a 2019 graduate of the School of Music; and Kaya Rose Giroux, a junior in music.

The Top Theatre Stories of 2020, From Zoom to Zazz

Playbill: In a frenzied year of ups and downs (OK, mostly downs), it was often the headlines that gave us a sense of clarity, whether that clarity came with frustration, pain, hope, or enthusiasm. Take a look below at the top stories that kept the Playbill news desk busy in 2020, even in a time without Broadway shows.

COVID-19 left theater in crisis. Why Hollywood should save it

Los Angeles Times: The vast majority of my year was spent on the sofa. I sheltered in place with sweat suits, snacks and soft woven blankets, and I watched more movies and TV shows than I ever thought I would.

2020: The Year Theater Reinvented Itself

The BroadwayBlog: True, a good portion of Broadway’s 20-21 season was canceled or postponed. Also true: theaters across the country have been forced to furlough or permanently let go of some of their most beloved employees, also canceling a countless number of performances. But the Ghostlight emerged out of the darkness — an iconic symbol confirming that no pandemic can squelch the creative community.

TeamLab’s Garden Interactive Installation Transforms Nature Into Art

mymodernmet.com: Digital art and design collective teamLab will soon transform an iconic Japanese landmark. The creative firm has recently released images of the new Kairakuen Garden installation which seeks to show guests how “nature can become art.” By using their signature projection techniques, teamLab demonstrates that art can interact with the outside world in a minimally invasive way. They are doing so by projecting artwork on to the 3,000 plum blossom trees for which the garden is known.